ABSTRACT
The use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has grown dramatically in recent years, as has research on the safety and efficacy of CAM treatments. This chapter argues that public health and safety demand rigorous research evaluating CAM therapies, research on CAM should adhere to the same ethical requirements for all clinical research, and randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials should be used for assessing the efficacy of CAM treatments whenever feasible and ethically justifiable. It examines the experiences of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Westren Herbal Medicine researchers and Human Research Ethics Committee with the evaluation of ethics applications. Treatment in African traditional medicine is holistic. It seeks to strike a balance between the patients' body, soul, and spirit. The problems arise from the infiltration of charlatans in the field, the practice of using mystical explanations for ill-health, and inadequate knowledge of the properties and clinical use of herbal remedies.
